


Well the weather outside is frightful

by Gilded_Moon



Category: The Witchlands Series - Susan Dennard
Genre: Aeduan is an Awkward Raccoon, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, It's mutual but Aeduan doesn't know that, Pining, Sharing Body Heat, Sleepy Cuddles, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, snow cuddles, un-empressed on tumblr came up with the awkward raccoon thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28220490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilded_Moon/pseuds/Gilded_Moon
Summary: The Sirmayan mountains and the areas nearby get cold at night. When a snowstorm hits, Aeduan may have to resort to sharing body heat, to cuddles, to keep Iseult warm.How in the Wells is Aeduan supposed to make it through the night while dealing with his feelings for Iseult?
Relationships: Aeduan/Iseult det Midenzi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 15





	Well the weather outside is frightful

**Author's Note:**

> I thought of this when we got a massive snowstorm where I live. Massive as in historic snow falls. Anyway, I got inspired and wrote snow cuddles. This is also much longer than originally planned. But who cares, it means more cuddles and pining. Enjoy!- Moon

Aeduan had forgotten how cold it could get at nights near the Sirmayan mountains. Temperatures could drop below freezing especially this close to winter. The cold never lost its bite, even to one who was used to it.

The Weaverwitch, Iseult, was clearly not used to it. Her teeth chattered, and she shivered despite the thick coat she was wearing. Aeduan felt rather bad for Iseult. If only he could hold her for a few minutes, she might warm up-

_No. Thoughts like that will not help the situation. Keep moving._

Aeduan shook his head to clear away the distracting thoughts of holding Iseult and turned his head to check on Owl. The little girl was in similar condition to the Weaverwitch. Aeduan sighed. They would have to find better shelter than the woods they were currently tramping through.

Aeduan stopped walking and turned to Iseult. “We need better shelter from the cold tonight. A cave perhaps,” he said.

“S-sounds g-good to mm-me,” Iseult said.

“I will scout for one. Stay here.”

Aeduan turned and walked towards the foothills of the mountains. He searched for half an hour before finding a cave that was both hidden from view and large enough to fit Blueberry. The mountain bat would leave little room for anyone else, but Aeduan supposed that was a good thing as Blueberry’s body heat would more concentrated.

Everyone would be warmer that way. The thought sent a swirl through Aeduan’s gut. A swirl that was only because the bat’s stench would be amplified in such a small area. It had nothing to do with the thought of such close proximity to a certain Weaverwitch.

Not at all.

_Pull yourself together. A man is not his mind. A man is not his body._

With that thought, Aeduan began the trek back to Iseult, Owl, and Blueberry.

*

It had begun to snow by the time Aeduan returned to the clearing where Iseult waited with Owl and Blueberry. They were in much worse condition than when he left.

Iseult’s nose and fingers had turned a faint shade of blue, and the shivers wracking her body had gotten much stronger. Owl appeared to be much the same.

Aeduan ran quickly towards them. Iseult looked up at him and asked, “D-did y-ou fin-dd a p-place t-t-to stay?”

Aeduan nodded. “Come with me.” He walked to Owl and swooped her into his arms. The little girl did not seem well enough to walk especially through the snow.

The longer they walked, the harder and faster the snow fell. The temperature dropped faster too. Aeduan was about to give up on finding the cave when Iseult spoke up beside him.

“I-is th-that the c-c-cave?” Iseult asked. She shook like a leaf as her shivers had worsened in the trek through the snow. She would need warmth and lots of it.

_Hold her, just for a little while-_

  1. _I will_ not _desire such things. A man is not his mind, a man is not his body._



Aeduan looked to where Iseult pointed with a shaking hand. They had reached the cave.

“Yes, it is. We will go in and settle at the back. Blueberry will cover the entrance,” said Aeduan. “That should block most of the wind and snow.”

Iseult nodded and walked into the cave. She headed for the back of the cave, dropped her pack, and curled up into herself to try to conserve whatever body heat she had left. Aeduan set Owl down beside Iseult who didn’t even try to move away from the little girl as she normally did. The howling of the wind was cut off as Blueberry curled up in the entrance of the cave.

Aeduan set down his supplies and went to check on Owl. Although shivering and cold, Owl did not appear to be in any danger of hypothermia. In fact, the girl perked up a little bit and crawled to Blueberry to bury herself in the bat’s fur. Aeduan shrugged and turned back the woman who had been occupying his thoughts. Due to the cave’s size, Iseult couldn’t be more than two feet away from him.

Close. She was so close. Aeduan shook his head and took a closer look at Iseult.

Iseult had not moved from the ball she had curled into, and she had not perked up like Owl had. That worried Aeduan. Blueberry’s body heat was starting to warm up the cave, so Iseult shouldn’t still be shivering.

_Maybe you will have to hold her. She looks like she needs it-_

_Enough of these thoughts. She isn’t mine to hold anyway_. Aeduan didn’t know why the thought made his lungs tighten and his heart drop a little.

Aeduan crossed the short distance between him and the Weaverwitch and knelt in front of her. Iseult looked up at him, and Aeduan sighed a breath of relief. The faint blue had faded from Iseult’s nose. Aeduan could not see if the blue had faded from her fingers as well since Iseult had clutched her hands inside her coat. Now that Aeduan was looking closer, he realized Iseult’s shivers were not as severe as before although she was still shaking fairly hard.

“Let me see your hands,” said Aeduan.

Iseult stared at him in confusion. “W-why do y-you want to s-see my ha-hands?”

“I need to make sure you don’t have frostbite,” he responded as he felt a blush rise on his face. By the Wells, he hoped Iseult was not paying attention to his Threads.

“Okay.”

Iseult pulled her hands out of her coat and placed them in Aeduan’s palms. He examined her hands and was relived to find no trace of blue on her fingers or hands. He was less relived to feel the shaking in Iseult’s hands.

_Look. Her hands fit so well in yours. They’re smaller, and your hands cover hers. They look nice together._

Aeduan instinctively squeezed Iseult’s hands tighter in frustration. He needed to focus.

“Your hands are free of frostbite,” he said. “But you are still shivering. We need to get you warmed up.”

Iseult stared into Aeduan’s eyes while she asked, “H-how will w-we manage t-that?”

Aeduan hesitated. He knew what he wanted to do to warm her up, but he didn’t want to scare Iseult by suggesting it. Besides, she would never accept his offer.

_You don’t know that. She might want this as badly as you do. You won’t know unless you ask her._

“Sit with Blueberry,” Aeduan blurted.

_Coward._

Iseult’s nose wrinkled in confusion. “But Blueberry hates me and so does Owl. It is unlikely they would like that.”

Aeduan couldn’t deny that. It was obvious how much dislike Owl and Iseult had for each other. And of course, Blueberry did what Owl did and felt what Owl felt.

“You are correct. There is… another option we could try,” Aeduan said slowly.

A few moments of silence and Iseult prompted Aeduan by saying, ”And t-that would be... wh-what exactly?”

Aeduan turned his gaze towards the floor in an effort to hide his embarrassment. Yes, it was embarrassment that he was hiding.

“I-I could… hold you,” Aeduan stuttered out. “I am not so cold as you are. Holding someone is a quick way to warm them up. Evrane taught me about that at the monastery. It always made sense when she said it.”

Aeduan cut himself off when he realized he was rambling. He was making a fool out of himself in front of Iseult and for what reason? That she captured his attention? That he loved how she could surprise him when no one else could? Or was it because she had never called him out for the monster he was? Or was it because of a thousand other reasons that he didn’t care to name?

_I wish I had never taken that job with Guildmaster Yotilutzi_. But Aeduan didn’t mean it. He could never regret meeting Iseult. Nor could he regret meeting Owl and Blueberry. He had to admit how much they meant to him.

_I hope she is too distracted by the cold to read my Threads. I do not want to explain what she would she. Could I explain? Would she mind-_

“O-okay.”

Aeduan jumped and snapped his head back up to look at Iseult. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had missed Iseult’s response to his idea.

“What?”

Iseult wriggled her nose and answered, “I s-said ok-okay. You c-can ho-hold me.”

“O-oh. I will then.”

Aeduan dropped Iseult’s hands which he had forgotten he was still holding. He moved to sit beside Iseult and turned to face her. Aeduan had no idea where to start. The only person he’d ever held was Owl. Holding a child was entirely different from holding a woman.

Aeduan slid even closer to Iseult and opened his arms. Iseult practically dove into his embrace. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she snuggled deep into Aeduan’s chest. She laid her head underneath his chin and wrapped her arms around Aeduan’s waist. Iseult weaved her legs between his in a similar way to when they were falling off the lighthouse.

_You’re holding her, and she’s holding you. It feels good._

_Her touch is too much. But I don’t want her to move. I want her to stay._

Iseult was saying something, but Aeduan was struggling to think of anything else but the feeling of Iseult _cuddling_ with him. She was smaller than he was and fit so well in his arms.

Aeduan did not want to think about what that could mean.

“Y-you are wa-warm,” Iseult said. “This is a g-good way t-to warm u-u-up.”

“Oh. I- yes, it is,” whispered Aeduan. “Do… do you need anything else? Another coat or a blanket? I could make you a warm drink-“

A soft chuckle left Iseult’s mouth. “I’m f-fine Aeduan. You are wa-warm enough for m-me.”

Aeduan was glad Iseult’s face was burrowed in his chest since that meant she couldn’t see the blush rising on his face at her words. What was this woman doing to him?

Aeduan could answer that well enough. He knew what the tightness in his chest every time he looked at Iseult meant. He knew why he was cuddling with Iseult now rather than making her sit with Blueberry. Aeduan also knew why he prayed that Iseult never studied his Threads too closely.

A soft snore interrupted Aeduan’s contemplations. He looked around the cave for the source of the sound before he heard it again. His gaze snapped down to his chest.

_Iseult_ had made the sound. She had _fallen asleep on top of him_.

Never in Aeduan’s life had anyone done such a thing.

_Never in your life has anyone accepted you so completely. Are you really surprised? She’s always slept when you were around, even before you trusted each other. Now she’s wrapped in your body heat on a cold night. She also hasn’t slept properly in weeks, no matter how she tries to hide it. What exactly did you think was going to happen?_

Certainly not this. What was he supposed to do? Should he move Iseult to a more comfortable position? Or should he leave her be? Aeduan wanted to leave her be but perhaps she would want moved.

Before Aeduan could make a decision, Iseult hugged his waist even tighter than she already did and snuggled closer to him.

“Aeduan,” she breathed out. “Stay.”

Aeduan froze. Iseult had asked him to stay. She was asleep yes, but she had still asked him to stay.

No one had ever asked him to stay before. He had made a wish on a firefly that someone would want to stay.

Now that wish had come true.

_Maybe this means Iseult feels these feelings too. Maybe I’m not the only one._

Aeduan hoped that was true. More than he had hoped for anything in his life.

*

Aeduan did not move Iseult. Instead, he pulled her closer. She was still asleep, and he did not want to wake her up.

Iseult’s shivers had stopped, and her skin was much warmer. Aeduan was relived. He had been worried that she would get sick. However, Iseult seemed to be fine.

A quick glance behind Blueberry told Aeduan that the snow had stopped. With any luck, Aeduan would be able to take Iseult, Owl, and Blueberry back out of the foothills the next day. Until then, they would stay in the cave.

A yawn escaped Aeduan. He was tired from the past two weeks of travel. It would be nice to rest before moving on. And Aeduan wasn’t moving anytime soon with Iseult cuddled into his body.

Not if he could help it.

Aeduan shifted into a more comfortable position and rested his chin on top of Iseult’s head. A few moments later, he was asleep.

Although neither would mention it for the time being, it was the best sleep that both the Bloodwitch Aeduan, and the Weaverwitch Iseult had ever had.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you liked it. I just realized Christmas is in a few days which means Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Have a good holiday season no matter what holiday (if any) that you celebrate. God bless and happy reading!- Moon


End file.
